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Swaby S, Ureña N, Teresa Pérez-Prior M, del Río C, Várez A, Sanchez JY, Iojoiu C, Levenfeld B. Proton Conducting Sulfonated Polysulfone and Polyphenylsulfone Multiblock Copolymers with Improved Performances for Fuel Cell Applications. J IND ENG CHEM 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2023.02.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
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Using Metal-Organic Framework HKUST-1 for the Preparation of High-Conductive Hybrid Membranes Based on Multiblock Copolymers for Fuel Cells. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:polym15020323. [PMID: 36679204 PMCID: PMC9862821 DOI: 10.3390/polym15020323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Novel proton-conducting hybrid membranes consisting of sulfonated multiblock copolymer of polysulfone and polyphenylsulfone (SPES) reinforced with a HKUST-1 metal-organic framework (MOF) (5, 10, and 20 wt. %) were prepared and characterized for fuel cell applications. The presence of the MOF in the copolymer was confirmed by means of FE-SEM and EDS. The hybrid membranes show a lower contact angle value than the pure SPES, in agreement with the water uptake (WU%), i.e., by adding 5 wt. % of the MOF, this parameter increases by 20% and 40% at 30 °C and 60 °C, respectively. Additionally, the presence of the MOF increases the ion exchange capacity (IEC) from 1.62 to 1.93 mequivH+ g−1. Thermogravimetric analysis reveals that the hybrid membranes demonstrate high thermal stability in the fuel cell operation temperature range (<100 °C). The addition of the MOF maintains the mechanical stability of the membranes (TS > 85 MPa in the Na+ form). Proton conductivity was analyzed using EIS, achieving the highest value with a 5 wt. % load of the HKUST-1. This value is lower than that observed for the HKUST-1/Nafion system. However, polarization and power density curves show a remarkably better performance of the hybrid membranes in comparison to both the pure SPES and the pure Nafion membranes.
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Modified sulfonated polyphenylsulfone proton exchange membrane with enhanced fuel cell performance: A review. J IND ENG CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2022.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Jamil A, Rafiq S, Iqbal T, Khan HAA, Khan HM, Azeem B, Mustafa MZ, Hanbazazah AS. Current status and future perspectives of proton exchange membranes for hydrogen fuel cells. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 303:135204. [PMID: 35660058 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The world is on the lookout for sustainable and environmentally benign energy generating systems. Fuel cells (FCs) are regarded as environmentally friendly technology since they address a variety of environmental issues, such as hazardous levels of local pollutants, while also delivering economic advantages owing to their high efficiency. A fuel cell is a device that changes chemical energy contained in fuels (such as hydrogen and methanol) into electrical energy. A wide variety of FCs are commercially available; however, proton exchange membranes for hydrogen fuel cells (PEMFCs) have received overwhelming attention owing to their potential to significantly reduce our energy consumption, pollution emissions, and reliance on fossil fuels. The proton exchange membrane (PEM) is a critical element; it is made of semipermeable polymer and serves as a barrier between the cathode and anode during fuel cell construction. Additionally, membranes function as an insulator between the cathode and anode, facilitating proton exchange and inhibiting electron exchange between the electrodes. Due to the excellent features such as durability and proton conductivity, Nafion membranes are commercially viable and have been in use for a long time. However, Nafion membranes are costly, and their proton exchange capacities degrade over time at higher temperatures and low relative humidity. Other types of membranes have been considered in addition to Nafion membranes. This article discusses the problems connected with several types of PEMs, as well as the strategies adopted to improve their characteristics and performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asif Jamil
- Department of Chemical, Polymer and Composite Materials Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore (New Campus), Pakistan.
| | - Sikander Rafiq
- Department of Chemical, Polymer and Composite Materials Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore (New Campus), Pakistan
| | - Tanveer Iqbal
- Department of Chemical, Polymer and Composite Materials Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore (New Campus), Pakistan
| | - Hafiza Aroosa Aslam Khan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Haris Mahmood Khan
- Department of Chemical, Polymer and Composite Materials Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore (New Campus), Pakistan
| | - Babar Azeem
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia.
| | - M Z Mustafa
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Abdulkader S Hanbazazah
- Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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Characterization and Modeling of Free Volume and Ionic Conduction in Multiblock Copolymer Proton Exchange Membranes. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14091688. [PMID: 35566860 PMCID: PMC9100545 DOI: 10.3390/polym14091688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Free volume plays a key role on transport in proton exchange membranes (PEMs), including ionic conduction, species permeation, and diffusion. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy are used to characterize the pore size distribution and ionic conductivity of synthesized PEMs from polysulfone/polyphenylsulfone multiblock copolymers with different degrees of sulfonation (SPES). The experimental data are combined with a bundle-of-tubes model at the cluster-network scale to examine water uptake and proton conduction. The results show that the free pore size changes little with temperature in agreement with the good thermo-mechanical properties of SPES. However, the free volume is significantly lower than that of Nafion®, leading to lower ionic conductivity. This is explained by the reduction of the bulk space available for proton transfer where the activation free energy is lower, as well as an increase in the tortuosity of the ionic network.
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Shukla AK, Alam J, Alhoshan M. Recent Advancements in Polyphenylsulfone Membrane Modification Methods for Separation Applications. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:247. [PMID: 35207168 PMCID: PMC8876851 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12020247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) membranes are of fundamental importance for many applications such as water treatment, gas separation, energy, electronics, and biomedicine, due to their low cost, controlled crystallinity, chemical, thermal, and mechanical stability. Numerous research studies have shown that modifying surface properties of PPSU membranes influences their stability and functionality. Therefore, the modification of the PPSU membrane surface is a pressing issue for both research and industrial communities. In this review, various surface modification methods and processes along with their mechanisms and performance are considered starting from 2002. There are three main approaches to the modification of PPSU membranes. The first one is bulk modifications, and it includes functional groups inclusion via sulfonation, amination, and chloromethylation. The second is blending with polymer (for instance, blending nanomaterials and biopolymers). Finally, the third one deals with physical and chemical surface modifications. Obviously, each method has its own limitations and advantages that are outlined below. Generally speaking, modified PPSU membranes demonstrate improved physical and chemical properties and enhanced performance. The advancements in PPSU modification have opened the door for the advance of membrane technology and multiple prospective applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arun Kumar Shukla
- King Abdullah Institute for Nanotechnology, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Javed Alam
- King Abdullah Institute for Nanotechnology, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Mansour Alhoshan
- King Abdullah Institute for Nanotechnology, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia;
- Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
- K.A. CARE Energy Research and Innovation Center at Riyadh, P.O. Box 2022, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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Sulfonated Polysulfone/TiO 2(B) Nanowires Composite Membranes as Polymer Electrolytes in Fuel Cells. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13122030. [PMID: 34205824 PMCID: PMC8234381 DOI: 10.3390/polym13122030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
New proton conducting membranes based on sulfonated polysulfone (sPSU) reinforced with TiO2(B) nanowires (1, 2, 5 and 10 wt.%) were synthesized and characterized. TiO2(B) nanowires were synthesized by means of a hydrothermal method by mixing TiO2 precursor in aqueous solution of NaOH as solvent. The presence of the TiO2(B) nanowires into the polymer were confirmed by means of Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction. The thermal study showed an increase of almost 20 °C in the maximum temperature of sPSU backbone decomposition due to the presence of 10 wt.% TiO2(B) nanowires. Water uptake also is improved with the presence of hydrophilic TiO2(B) nanowires. Proton conductivity of sPSU with 10 wt.% TiO2(B) nanowires was 21 mS cm−1 (at 85 °C and 100% RH). Under these experimental conditions the power density was 350 mW cm−2 similar to the value obtained for Nafion 117. Considering all these obtained results, the composite membrane doped with 10 wt.% TiO2(B) nanowires is a promising candidate as proton exchange electrolyte in fuel cells (PEMFCs), especially those operating at high temperatures.
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Ureña N, Pérez-Prior MT, Levenfeld B, García-Salaberri PA. On the Conductivity of Proton-Exchange Membranes Based on Multiblock Copolymers of Sulfonated Polysulfone and Polyphenylsulfone: An Experimental and Modeling Study. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:363. [PMID: 33498770 PMCID: PMC7865426 DOI: 10.3390/polym13030363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The effect of relative humidity (RH) and degree of sulfonation (DS) on the ionic conductivity and water uptake of proton-exchange membranes based on sulfonated multiblock copolymers composed of polysulfone (PSU) and polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) is examined experimentally and numerically. Three membranes with a different DS and ion-exchange capacity are analyzed. The heterogeneous structure of the membranes shows a random distribution of sulfonated (hydrophilic) and non-sulfonated (hydrophobic) domains, whose proton conductivity is modeled based on percolation theory. The mesoscopic model solves simplified Nernst-Planck and charge conservation equations on a random cubic network. Good agreement is found between the measured ionic conductivity and water uptake and the model predictions. The ionic conductivity increases with RH due to both the growth of the hydrated volume available for conduction and the decrease of the tortuosity of ionic transport pathways. Moreover, the results show that the ionic conductivity increases nonlinearly with DS, experiencing a strong rise when the DS is varied from 0.45 to 0.70, even though the water uptake of the membranes remains nearly the same. In contrast, the increase of the ionic conductivity between DS=0.70 and DS=0.79 is significantly lower, but the water uptake increases sharply. This is explained by the lack of microphase separation of both copolymer blocks when the DS is exceedingly high. Encouragingly, the copolymer membranes demonstrate a similar performance to Nafion under well hydrated conditions, which can be further optimized by a combination of numerical modeling and experimental characterization to develop new-generation membranes with better properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nieves Ureña
- Departamento de Ciencia e Ingeniería de Materiales e Ingeniería Química, IAAB, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Leganés, Spain; (N.U.); (M.T.P.-P.); (B.L.)
| | - M. Teresa Pérez-Prior
- Departamento de Ciencia e Ingeniería de Materiales e Ingeniería Química, IAAB, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Leganés, Spain; (N.U.); (M.T.P.-P.); (B.L.)
| | - Belén Levenfeld
- Departamento de Ciencia e Ingeniería de Materiales e Ingeniería Química, IAAB, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Leganés, Spain; (N.U.); (M.T.P.-P.); (B.L.)
| | - Pablo A. García-Salaberri
- Departamento de Ingeniería Térmica y de Fluidos, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Leganés, Spain
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Abatti GP, Gross IP, da Conceição TF. Tuning the thermal and mechanical properties of PSU by post-polymerization Friedel-Crafts acylation. Eur Polym J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2020.110111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Hoshikawa N, Shinohara A, Hosokawa Y, Hasegawa N, Kawasumi M. Synthesis and Properties of Fluorocarbon-Hydrocarbon Hybrid Block Copolymers with Perfluorosulfonimide Acid. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:27766-27773. [PMID: 33163759 PMCID: PMC7643075 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c01972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Novel fluorocarbon-hydrocarbon hybrid block copolymer electrolytes were synthesized. The block copolymer electrolytes consist of poly(perfluoropropyl sulfonimide) (PC3SI) as a perfluorinated hydrophilic segment and poly(ether ether sulfone) as a hydrocarbon hydrophobic segment. The sulfonimide group of poly(perfluoropropyl sulfonimide) has superacidity, very low equivalent weight (EW = 293 g/equiv), and a proton conductivity of 1.2 × 10-2 S/cm under dry conditions and 25 °C, although soluble in water. The proton conductivity of the block copolymer was 1.7 × 10-3 S/cm at 20% relative humidity and 25 °C, which is three times as high as that of Nafion 112.
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S. RRR, W. R, M. K, Y. WW, J. P. Recent Progress in the Development of Aromatic Polymer-Based Proton Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cell Applications. Polymers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1061. [PMID: 32384660 PMCID: PMC7285229 DOI: 10.3390/polym12051061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Proton exchange membranes (PEMs) play a pivotal role in fuel cells; conducting protons from the anode to the cathode within the cell's membrane electrode assembles (MEA) separates the reactant fuels and prevents electrons from passing through. High proton conductivity is the most important characteristic of the PEM, as this contributes to the performance and efficiency of the fuel cell. However, it is also important to take into account the membrane's durability to ensure that it canmaintain itsperformance under the actual fuel cell's operating conditions and serve a long lifetime. The current state-of-the-art Nafion membranes are limited due to their high cost, loss of conductivity at elevated temperatures due to dehydration, and fuel crossover. Alternatives to Nafion have become a well-researched topic in recent years. Aromatic-based membranes where the polymer chains are linked together by aromatic rings, alongside varying numbers of ether, ketone, or sulfone functionalities, imide, or benzimidazoles in their structures, are one of the alternatives that show great potential as PEMs due totheir electrochemical, mechanical, and thermal strengths. Membranes based on these polymers, such as poly(aryl ether ketones) (PAEKs) and polyimides (PIs), however, lack a sufficient level of proton conductivity and durability to be practical for use in fuel cells. Therefore, membrane modifications are necessary to overcome their drawbacks. This paper reviews the challenges associated with different types of aromatic-based PEMs, plus the recent approaches that have been adopted to enhance their properties and performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raja Rafidah R. S.
- School of Engineering, Taylor’s University, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia;
| | - Rashmi W.
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Malaysia, Sepang 43900, Malaysia
| | - Khalid M.
- Graphene and Advanced 2D Materials Research Group (GAMRG), School of Science and Technology, Sunway University, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia;
| | - Wong W. Y.
- Fuel Cell Institute, UniversitiKebangsaan Malaysia, UKM Bangi, Selangor 43600, Malaysia
| | - Priyanka J.
- Graphene and Advanced 2D Materials Research Group (GAMRG), School of Science and Technology, Sunway University, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia;
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Improved properties of sulfonated octaphenyl polyhedral silsequioxane cross-link with highly sulfonated polyphenylsulfone as proton exchange membrane. J Solid State Electrochem 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10008-020-04594-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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